Method of cleaning



Oct. 27, 1936. F. RIEBEL, JR., ET AL METHOD OF CLEANING Filed '0013. l2, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 27, 1936. F. RIEBEL, JR., ET AL METHOD OF CLEANING 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001'.. l2, 1935 Oct. 27, 1936.

F. RIEBEL, JR.. ET m.4

METHOD OF CLEANING Filed oct. 12, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS lwlm @no l BY mjy Patented oct. 27, 12936 METHOD or CLEANING Frederick Riebel, Jr., and Dewey M. Dow, Toledo, Ohio, assignors to Air-Way Electric Appliance Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application October 12, 1935, Serial No. 44,743

` 1 claim. (c1. ca -3s) This invention relates to the art of dry cleaning of fabrics and has for its object to provide a method utilizing suction to most efficiently operate upon a soiled spot in a piece of fabric, adjustment being made in accordance with the size of the spot to be removed. To this end, the invention contemplates selectively concentrating the suction to Such apparatus being shown in enlarged sectional detail. A

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the working head.

Fig.3 is a plan view of the same with the working face elements removed.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modied form of the Working head.

Y Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 2 of a modication of the working head.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the same.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the same, parts being broken away to illustrate the internal construction.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the same with additional parts removed, and

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a stack of orifice rings used in connection with the form shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive.

Fig. 10 is a sectional View similar to Fig. 4 showing a further modication of the apparatus, and

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line I I I I of Fig. 10.

Referring rst to the form of apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 3, we provide a suction apparatus in the form of a household suction cleaner A, and a working head indicated generally 'by the reference character ,B. The cleaner A includes an electric motor I0, a suction fan II, inlet port I2 communicating respectively with the floor tool tube I3 and the hollow suction handle I4 and a rotatable valve I5 operating in the port'l2 to direct the suction either to the handle I4 or the floor tool tube I3.

'I'heworking head`B comprises a suction chamber I6 secured upon a base I'I which has feet comprising resilient suction cups I8 adapted to engage a supportingV surface to securely hold the working head in position. K

Attached to-and communicating with the suction chamber I6 is a neck I9 the outer end of which is adapted to be telescoped into engagement with the end of a llexibleextension hose 20 attachable by means of the sleeve 2 Ia to the hollow handle I4.

The suction chamber has an open mouthv dened by an annular radial ange 2| having an 5 upstanding rim 22. A disc shaped grid of wire cloth 23 is supported on the ange 2I and ts snugly within the rim 22. On top of the grid 23 is an orice 24 of imperviousmaterial having a central I opening 25 which defines the effective 10 suction opening.

In Fig. 9 is shown a s et of such rings which is provided for each working head, the rings being marked a, b, c, d, and e, respectively, and having openings of progressively diminishing diameters. 15

On top of the ring -24 is a felt disc 26 upon which is laid the fabric 2'I to be cleaned.

The cleaner A includes switch 28 for stopping and starting the motor I Il. In the operation of the device, the fabric is laid upon the felt disc 26,

' with the soiled spot 29 (Fig. 2) centered over the disc 26 so as not to be deposited in the cleaner.

In cleaning a large spot, the ring a will be used rst. The air currents going into the edge region of the 'opening 25 are slanted inwardly as indicated by the arrows 3| owing to the depth of the felt disc 26 lying between the fabric 21 and the opening 25. This indrawing effect will assist the operator in working the fluid from the edge region of the spot toward the center, and will give the desired cleaning effect avoiding a ring in the area 'being cleaned. The spot having vbeen Worked to a smaller size, discs withprogressively smaller openings can be used as the spot is gradually worked down to nothing.

The secret of operation of the device is concentrating the suction to the area of the spot to-be cleaned.

In the form shown in Fig. 4 the working head B comprises simply .a suction chamber I6a with a.

Y neck I9a adapted to communicate directly with the inlet opening 32 of the fan I I. The bottom oi.' the Vchamber I6a sets against the partition wall 33 which separates the fan from the valve casing I2 S0 that connections to both handle I 4 and floor tool tube I3 are completely shut oil by the chamber |6a.

In Fig. 4 the ring 24 is shown above the felt disc 25, although the preferred arrangement is that shown in Fig'. 1.

In the form shown in Fig. 6, the suction chamber |6 has a flange 2| and a rim 22 of proper size to accommodate an aperture forming mechanism which is operable by a lever 34 to give a continuous variation in aperture size from maximum to minimum.

This mechanism includes a ring 35 in which the lever 34 is formed, said ring 35 being rotatably seated on the flange 2| within the annular flange 36 of a complementary ring 31. Between the rings 35 and 31, are a series of thin leaves 38 of arcuate shape, each of which has at one end an extruded trunnion 39 journalled in an opening 40 of the upper ring 31 and at its other end a similartrunnion 4| engaged in a radial slot 42 in the lower ring 35. The upper ring is secured as by bolts 43 to the flange 2| and serves to hold the mechanism in position. The lower ring 35 is rotatable by means of the lever 34, and upon rotation causes the leaves to close together restricting the aperture defined betweenthem.

The upper ring 31 is formed with a grid 23a of wire cloth across its open center and a felt disc 26 is supported thereon extendingover the ring 31 and fitting within the rim 22. In this form of apparatus the aperture may be progressively decreased during the operation of cleaning thus avoiding the lifting oi of the fabric and the felt disc to replace the rings 24.

In the form shown in Fig. -10 and Fig. 11 thel attachment comprises simply a thimble which rests against the wall 5| separating the fan case;

|| -fron the Valve casing I2. It has a flange 52 which ts loosely within the two semi-circular Wall portions |2s of the valve casing l2, and the grid 23, orifice ring 24, and felt disc 26, are all received in the cavity between the walls |2s and the flange 52. x

The invention is not to be limited to the exact construction illustrated and described, but is intended to be construed as covering all modications thereof which come withinl the scope of, or are equivalent to, what is defined in the appended claim.

We claim as our invention:

The method of cleaning a soiled spot from a fabric comprising: supporting the fabric and drawing 'therethrough a current of air, applying cleaning fluid to the soiled spot, and selectively concentrating the suction to substantially the area of the spot.-

- FREDERICK RIEBEL, J R.

DEWEY M. DOW. 

